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Topic: Are they still making for brandnew stuff?
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James E. Stubbs
Expert Film Handler
Posts: 104
From: Portland, OR
Registered: Apr 2007
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posted March 31, 2009 11:41 PM
Other than a camera format I would say, sadly that 16mm is a dieing and dead format. There's simply no reason to print 16mm much any more as 35mm equipment for even very small theatrical use is plentiful. There are several new old cinemas here in Portland Oregon and although they only seat 50, they are all 35mm using masked WS prints. If you have the spot and can lay out the money for a 35mm projector, getting a hold of a 35mm print is likely cheaper and easier. The New cines like Living Room Theaters and Cinetopia are all Digital.
The military AFIK has and is divesting itself of all it's 16mm gear in favor of easier to use & maintain and cheaper in the long run, digital projectors. I purchased a brand new 16mm Singer Telex projector US military surplus. The same outfit selling them was also selling brand new B&H 16mm projectors. Think about it from an expense and ease of use standpoint. A decent much smaller, lighter, less maintenance than 16mm 1080P digital projector using Blue Ray discs which cost a fraction to manufacture mail than a 16mm print, can be had for $900. The bulbs last for thousands of hours then can be replaced for $200. Or if the unit is used up, just toss it and replace it. A digital projector Blue Ray unit etc is both far more portable and easier to put into a permanent installation anywhere hanging from a ceiling, or in a simple cabinet requiring no threading, set up etc.
Now that I've spoken so much balderdash... LONG LIVE FILM!!! I love my super 8 and 16mm films. They will always look better than anything digital! The demise of 16mm prints is only one step in the film studios plan to have complete control of all theatrical play of films by going to digital. Sony is even supplying the projectors. If you've ever seen a film digital in a good sized cine you know it looks like absolute SHYTE!!!! Whenever I've been forced to look at such garbage I tell the cine owner about it and ask that they stick to film. The bottom line is that if we're not vocal about our great disdain of all things digital, it will happen so fast we won't know what hit us. The best thing you can do is support small independently owned movie houses using film. They're not likely to go digital any time soon.
Cheers,
Jaems E.
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James E. Stubbs
Consultant, Vagabond, Traveler.
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Osi Osgood
Film God
Posts: 10204
From: Mountian Home, ID.
Registered: Jul 2005
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posted April 01, 2009 12:19 AM
James ...
I do truly appreciate your frustration, but if there is a cheaper way of bringing the films to the cinema, (pretty soon now, we'll have to call them the "digema") they'll settle for that, and the average audience is so clueless about the image that they are seeing, (not knowing film from the digital image, except for the occasional scratch), that they couldn't care less.
In fact, they may even praise they're home cinema equipment.
Why, because it looks just as good as what they saw at the DIGEMA, no s**t sherlock, they were both digital!!
pathetic!
Long Live FILM!
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"All these moments will be lost in time, just like ... tears, in the rain. "
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